Editor's letter: celebrate the year of the woman with the Tempus Wealth edition

* Discover the world of women in watchmaking, including Richemont's first female CEO Chabi Nouri, CEO of Piaget

2018 has undoubtedly been the year of the woman. Marking 100 years since millions of British women gained the right to vote, the centenary has brought to light the progress that’s been made in terms of gender equality, while highlighting what’s still to be done. When it comes to the workplace, plenty of businesses have a long way to go, but the luxury industry appears to be ahead of the curve.

According to Walpole CEO Helen Brocklebank (read our interview on page 20) her company’s research has shown that 38% of CEOs in British luxury are women. This is compared to 29% of female-held FTSE 100 board positions (only 7% of whom are CEOs).

One of luxury’s 31% is Chabi Nouri, pictured on our cover, who became the first female CEO of Piaget earlier this year and, consequently, the first female chief executive at Richemont. A couple of months later, the group followed this historic occasion by adding a second women to its board, Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre – find out more on page 52.

To mark such an important anniversary, we’ve dedicated this special issue to the women powering our favourite luxury industries. Join us as we speak to female leaders across many fields, from motorsports (find out how Susie Wolff, Formula E’s first female team principal, is smashing the glass ceiling of racing on page 64) to liquor (sample rum with the world’s first female master blender, Joy Spence, on page 86). >>

As this is our wealth edition, we’ve spoken to London’s most powerful women in finance – “superwoman” Dame Helena Morrissey, Gina Miller and Anna Sofat – who between them handle billions in assets and have made incredible strides in the face of adversity. Discover their stories on page 86.

We then delve into the world of alternative investments – find out how cannabis, hypercars and movies could be the next big revenue generator on page 40 – and check out London’s best private member’s clubs (page 34). We’ve also got the latest in luxury travel, timeless style, fine dining and must-have property, with expert commentary from talented columnists and reporters, male and female alike.

Enjoy the issue.
Rachel Ingram

* Grace Belgravia's Kate Percival tells us about the new, holistic way of working that is favoured by London's most successful woman